Thank you for joining us for another exciting episode of Young and Upcoming, a segment where we feature emerging talent and hardworking individuals who are making waves in their respective industries. In episode five, we caught up with the extraordinary producer, musician and businessman, Rabs Vhafuwi, who recently released his new album, 9 Provinces.
The 34-year-old, who’s originally from Venda and who many may know from his dance hit Count Your Blessings, sat down with us to talk about music, love, family, and how he went from being one of the most inspiring artists in the land to almost quitting the music industry.
Born and raised in Limpopo, the producer was inspired by his father’s music collection, particularly his jazz music. So much so that in 2014, on his second album, Rabs dedicated the song Daddy was my Hero to his father. Rabs’ journey in the music industry began in his varsity years when a friend showed him a song he had mixed using a music programme. This intrigued Rabs who looked for the programme and, a few months later, he started recording hits for people to dance to.
For Rabs, his musical journey has not always been an easy one. When he released his second album, which was licensed to a major record label, it did not do as well as expected and the frustration he experienced during this period pushed him to contemplate quitting the music industry altogether.
“I felt like I was letting so many people down when I was quitting. I imagined young guys coming up, trying to make music, and then [saying] ‘If Rabs can’t do it, who are we?’
“Music is like a drug, it kept calling me back – I kept hearing sounds in my head.”
Even with a regular job, the Count Your Blessings hitmaker says that music kept calling him and he had to quit his office job to focus his attention on his music. Considering the pressure from family and friends, as well as how good he was at his regular job, he says this decision was not the easiest to make.
His third album, 9 Provinces, features South African artists from all nine provinces, including international house sensation Portia Monique.
Aside from music, Rabs enjoys travelling the world and trying out different types of food. According to him, he is quite a good cook, something we have yet to prove…
Watch the rest of the interview below:
Follow him on instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rabsvhafuwisa/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rabsvhafuwisa/
Get his new album here:
Google store: https://play.google.com/store/music/album?id=B45g6mcmcilgotng6lx4utquuku
Itunes: https://itunes.apple.com/za/album/9-provinces/1383946953
